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Share-based payments - Charge has been recognised in income statement for Rio Tinto's share-based incentive plans, and the related liability (for cash-settled plans) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items]
Liability at the end of the year	$ 15	$ 1
Charge recognised for the year	91	116	$ 128
Equity-settled plans [member]
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items]
Charge recognised for the year	88	116	$ 128
Cash-settled plans [member]
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items]
Liability at the end of the year	15	$ 1
Charge recognised for the year	$ 3

X

- Definition

Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The amount of expense arising from share-based payment transactions in which the goods or services received did not qualify for recognition as assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 2
-IssueDate 2016-01-13
-Paragraph 51
-Subparagraph a
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=2&date=2016-03-30&anchor=para_51_a&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2016-03-31

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The amount of liabilities arising from share-based payment transactions. Share-based payment transactions are transactions in which the entity: (a) receives goods or services from the supplier of those goods or services (including an employee) in a share-based payment arrangement; or (b) incurs an obligation to settle the transaction with the supplier in a share-based payment arrangement when another group entity receives those goods or services. [Refer: Share-based payment arrangements [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 2
-IssueDate 2016-01-13
-Paragraph 51
-Subparagraph b
-Clause i
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=2&date=2016-03-30&anchor=para_51_b_i&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2016-03-31

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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Period Type:

X

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
Period Type: